


Tethered, Wrapped Around

by wewillalwaysenduphere



Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Alex is back on his bullshit, But don't worry Yassen has his back, M/M, Of course Yassen lives it's Christmas after all, Scorpia (Alex Rider), Supernatural Elements, Yassen is dead...right?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27923569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wewillalwaysenduphere/pseuds/wewillalwaysenduphere
Summary: Yassen Gregorovich was dead. Alex had watched him die. So why did Alex keep seeing the man in crowds? Why was even the ghost of Yassen Gregorovich so determined to keep him alive?Or: Scorpia happens, but Yassen is there to guide Alex. This time, when Alex gets shot, Yassen is the one to hold his hand.
Relationships: Yassen Gregorovich & Alex Rider, Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
Comments: 7
Kudos: 43
Collections: AR Fic Exchange 2020





	Tethered, Wrapped Around

**Author's Note:**

  * For [capeofstorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/capeofstorm/gifts).



> For the AR Fic exchange, prompt was: Set just after Eagle Strike, Yassen is “dead” and Alex can see his ghost following him around; turns out Y is in a coma, A decides to reunite Y’s body and soul and maybe finally be able to sleep.
> 
> I took some liberties but I hope you like where I went with it.
> 
> Merry Christmas, witchy <3
> 
> PS: The song "Tethered, Wrapped Around" by Dekker was a huge inspiration for this. The lyrics fit the prompt to a T and you should give it a listen!

Ever since Air Force One, something had changed for Alex.

He lost Sabina, who had been happy to leave it all behind. He’d lost any knowledge of who he thought his parents were, and any sense of self attached to that.

Sometimes, he thought he might be losing his mind, too. Sometimes, it was as if he could see Yassen’s blue eyes or blond hair in a crowd, and his voice seemed to echo through Alex’s head at inopportune times.

After his talk with Ms. Jones Alex knew Yassen hadn’t lied – it was all true. His father had been a killer, he’d trained Yassen, and no one had ever bothered to tell him the truth.

Maybe he should go to Venice. Maybe he should see what he could find out. He certainly was done doing things on MI6’s orders.

Throwing caution to the wind, Alex joined the class trip to Venice.

* * *

When he was trying to escape the deadly prison Nile had left him in, squeezing himself through pipes that were almost too small for him, he could hear Yassen’s voice again.

It wasn’t like he was cheering Alex on – but he was telling him to keep going.

His blue eyes in front of Alex, his blonde hair untouched by the water. No bubbles ripped from his lips, while they were streaming all too quickly from Alex’s.

_Don’t give up. You’re almost there. Come on, Alex._

Alex had no idea why he was actually listening to Yassen of all people. The man had been a contract killer. Even if he had known his father – that only proved his father was a bad person, not that Yassen was a good one.

But none of that mattered now, and he’d never get to think about it again if he suffocated now. He had to survive this – and Yassen was the only one here to support him.

When Alex looked into Yassen’s eyes, the other man seemed to realize his change of mind.

_Good. Push those thoughts away. Focus on your arms. Just a few more metres._

Alex wanted to scream – he felt like a single inch more would be too much. But Yassen was there, and Alex knew he had to do this. He couldn’t disappoint Yassen – or at least couldn’t let the man see him fail. Yassen had died for him. That sacrifice would be in vain if he died now.

When Alex had made it to the end, Yassen was smiling at him.

_The surface is right here. You’ve got this, Alex._

Alex swam up, and the air inside his lungs felt like heaven. That first breath tasted like ambrosia, and for a moment, he could see Yassen’s smiling face close to his own. He’d never seen the man smile like that while alive.

As Alex’s frantic breathing calmed down, Yassen disappeared. From one moment to the next, he was suddenly gone. Alex looked around, as if he could reasonably assume Yassen had just swum a few metres – but of course he wasn’t here. Yassen was dead.

Whatever Alex was seeing – these hallucinations – it wasn’t real. None of it was. He needed to get a grip on himself, and better sooner than later. This was getting out of hand.

* * *

After Alex had joined Scorpia, when he was learning how to kill, he started seeing Yassen more frequently.

Sometimes, he wanted to ask the man if he remembered his own training here at Malagosto, and if he had any regrets. Whether Yassen had ever doubted his ability to become a killer. But most of the time, the blue eyes and blonde hair disappeared once Alex focused on them, and Yassen’s presence seemed almost like a herald of Alex’s impending insanity.

One night Alex climbed all the steps up the bell tower, only to stare into the darkness surrounding him. There was no railing along the platform, and during the night, it was easy to fall. Alex wondered whether it wouldn’t be good to take a few more steps. Close his eyes and just walk over the edge. All he had to do was put one foot in front of the other. Maybe once he was dead, Yassen would explain to him why he followed him. Maybe he would get to meet his parents, and his father would be able to offer an explanation for everything.

_Alex, don’t do it._

Alex turned around, surprised to see that this time, Yassen didn’t disappear once they made eye contact. His form seemed to almost glow in the night, and Alex had to swallow.

“You’re not really here. You’re not real.”

_Alex, don’t hurt yourself._

Yassen seemed to ignore his protests. Maybe he hadn’t even heard it – if he was just part of Alex’s own subconscious, or a hallucination, how would he?

“I’m losing my mind, Yassen. I’m seeing you – I’ve joined a terrorist organization and they treat me better than my own government ever bothered to do…”

Alex trailed off. It was worse when he said it out loud. Yassen slowly moved towards him, and Alex wondered if the man would be able to touch him. If that would even mean anything – would it make Yassen any more real? Or would it only make Alex even crazier?

_But there’s so much more waiting for you, Alex. You’re only fourteen._

Alex couldn’t deny the logic in that, and Yassen’s eyes were so kind. His voice was soft, like wind rustling through the leaves of a tree. Alex wanted to believe him. He wanted to keep going.

“But what if it never gets better and I-“

Alex trailed off when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. It was Nile who stepped out onto the platform, raising one eyebrow in question.

“Alex? Are you talking to anyone?”

Alex wanted to laugh like a maniac, but he only shook his head.

“There’s no one around, or can you see anyone?”

Yassen was still there, right between them. His posture relaxed and his facial expression amused.

“No, there’s no one here,” Nile said, and Alex forced himself to break eye contact with Yassen.

“You should come down,” Nile continued.

Yassen, as Alex could see from the periphery of his vision, was nodding. Alex swallowed. He needed to leave – he couldn’t believe this was happening. None of it made sense. His head was spinning and he merely gave a silent nod before following Nile downstairs.

He didn’t check if Yassen was still there. He didn’t turn around.

But he didn’t sleep that night, either.

* * *

Alex had just stepped outside the MI6 building when the bullet hit him. He needed a moment to realize it, because there was no pain – he just felt cold. Cold and weirdly like he was floating. People were staring, faces above him, and when had he sat down? Was he lying on the street?

None of it made sense, until a familiar face pushed its way through the crowd.

“Yassen?”, Alex said. Or thought. His body felt strangely detached.

Yassen came closer, a sad smile on his face.

“Hello, Alex.”

He held out a hand, and Alex took it, surprised that he could touch him now, that he could get up. When he looked at the ground, his body was still there.

Alex stumbled back, shocked. He – no, his body – was bleeding out. Someone was calling an ambulance but he wasn’t sure it would make it on time.

“What – Yassen? What’s happening?”

Yassen was still by his side. He squeezed his hand, and Alex squeezed back.

“Am I dead?”

And then, quieter, admitting what he’d tried to forget, “Like you?”

Yassen shook his head.

“No, Alex. You’re not dead, but your dying. This is where your soul goes when you’re between life and death. Or at least, that’s my working theory.”

Alex turned to him, looking into Yassen’s blue eyes, and how he didn’t quite seem corporeal, even now. Alex couldn’t see through him, but there was something about him that was distinctly…other. When Alex looked at his body on the ground, and then his hand where it was holding Yassen’s, there was a clear difference. He was a lot paler like this, and seemed to be flickering in and out of focus.

Yassen was not flickering at all.

“What is this?”

Panic was making its way into Alex’s tone, and Yassen’s gaze was full of concern.

“You’re actively dying. If they don’t manage to save you, you’ll move on.”

Yassen turned towards him, both his hands around Alex’s face now.

“Stay here, little Alex. Stay with me. Don’t let go.”

Alex couldn’t help but remember the time he almost drowned. Or when he thought he’d seen Yassen at Malagosto.

“You looked out for me. You’ve been with me all this time.”

Alex could feel himself flicker, Yassen’s hands unable to hold him for a moment. It was reassuring to feel them again once the moment was over.

“Yes. And that will all have been for naught if you go now. The ambulance is almost here, Alex. Hold on.”

Alex could hear the sirens, but his form kept flickering out of focus. His body on the floor looked dead. Yassen’s eyes were still fixed on him, but he couldn’t keep his own eyes open.

“Yassen…if this is it and I die – thank you. Thank you for saving me. And you deserve to know that John lied to you. He was killed by Scorpia.”

When Alex opened his eyes the next time, Yassen was carrying him away in his arms. The paramedics were kneeling next to his real body. Yassen’s eyes were cold.

“Let’s talk about that once you can think clearly.”

Alex nodded.

“I’m tired, Yassen.”

“Sleep. The paramedics have gotten to your body, you will be fine.”

So Alex slept.

* * *

When he came to, he could hear the waves crashing onto the shore. Blinking his eyes open, Alex realized he’d slept under the open sky. Somehow, Yassen had brought him all the way to the sea. The sun was setting, and the grass below him should have felt cold. But Alex didn’t feel the coldness of the ground, or the harsh wind. Yassen was sitting a few feet away, eyes fixed on the horizon. They were on a cliff, and below them was the sea. No people around.

“How did you get me all the way here from London?”

Yassen turned around and tilted his head.

“We don’t really have bodies. Distance is…relative. You can decide where you want to go.”

Alex furrowed his brow.

“I don’t follow.”

Yassen shrugged.

“There’s no explanation that would make sense. But I’ve been like this for a while and have learned to travel.”

Slowly, Alex made his way towards Yassen. The sunset was beautiful to watch, and the sounds of the waves were peaceful. Alex couldn’t help but wonder if Yassen had come here often since he had died.

“What you said about your father before…”

Yassen’s voice was carefully neutral. Alex would have felt his throat tighten if he still had a real body, or that his heartrate had picked up. As it was, he felt nothing.

“It’s true. Scorpia had him murdered. He was a double agent and wanted out when my mother got pregnant. MI6 tried to get him out but Scorpia realized they had only faked his death. They blew up the plane both him and my mother were taking to France to start a new life. I only stayed back because of an ear infection.”

For a long time, Yassen stayed quiet. His face was expressionless, and Alex wondered how much he had cared. If Yassen would ever share that with him, if he did.

“It’s a dirty game,” Yassen finally said. “Your father knew how to play it. But it is hard to beat a queen when you’re nothing but a pawn.”

Alex didn’t know whether he liked that metaphor.

“Rothman is dead, you know.”

Yassen’s lips twitched into a smile.

“So that’s the black queen gone. The white one is still on the board.”

Alex needed a moment.

“You mean – Mrs. Jones? She’s nowhere near as bad as Rothman.”

Yassen laughed, but it was a bitter, joyless sound.

“Alex, you’re very young. Don’t think that Jones and Blunt are any better because they claim to murder in the name of the country you happen to be born in.”

Alex thought about Jones and her dead kids, and about everything MI6 had done to him.

“I’m not saying she’s a good person. But she’s not as evil as Rothman.”

Yassen let him have that one. For a while, they were quiet.

“About my father – I couldn’t help but wonder. Did you sent me knowing they would try to kill me? Or were you genuinely unaware?”

“I didn’t know. I suspected sometimes…but I trusted him. I was just a teenager. I wanted him to care for me, and I wanted to trust him. So I did.”

Alex wanted to ask more, wanted to know if Yassen had also spoken the truth when he’d told him he loved him, but he couldn’t get the words out. Instead, he looked right into the setting sun, and his eyes didn’t hurt, because his body wasn’t real.

“I’m sorry for what he did. And…thank you. You saved my life, while I thought I was hallucinating.”

Yassen only gave a small nod.

“You’re welcome.”

Nothing more. Talking to yassen was like pulling teeth.

“Why did you do it?”

Alex couldn’t help but needle the man. But no matter how much of a dangerous killer Yassen was, if he wanted Alex dead, he’d be dead, and right now they both weren’t in any position to harm the other, anyway.

Now, Yassen almost shifted a bit. As if he was uncomfortable. It was intriguing.

“This form – a religious person might call it soul – is somehow tethered to you. Maybe because you were around when I died. Maybe because I died to protect you. Maybe because I cared about you. Whatever it is, I could always feel you. It was like a string pulled taut. Like a compass always knowing North. When I wanted to find you, I just had to close my eyes and follow the tether. And when you were distraught, I could feel that, too. That’s how I found you when you almost drowned.”

Alex sat stock still.

“But I saw you before that, too.”

Yassen looked down for a moment, and Alex couldn’t help but wonder if the man felt caught.

“Yes. I was…curious. I am sorry if it upset you.”

Alex almost wanted to laugh. Of course it had upset him. But it had saved his life, too. It was reassuring, somehow. That Yassen had always known where he was. That he had chosen to watch over him. Like a particularly deadly guardian angel.

“I got used to it. But – where do they keep your body? If you’re here, you’re not dead. You must be in a coma or something, if you’ve been here this long.”

Yassen looked right at him then, his eyes suddenly intense.

“I don’t know. At first I thought the tether must have been my body, but it wasn’t – it was you. I searched for it but MI6 could have my body in a black site in the middle of nowhere, Scorpia could have it…the possibilities are endless. I made many enemies.”

Alex was suddenly excited.

“If we find your body – maybe you could wake up?”

Yassen shrugged. He seemed to share none of Alex’s hopes.

“I doubt it. I think this is it for me. It’s not bad. More peaceful a life than I ever thought I would have. No more violence. And once my body inevitably dies, I’ll be able to move on.”

The sun was just about to set, and Alex didn’t want to give up just yet.

“But maybe we could –“

Yassen shook his head.

“I have no way of knowing where my body is. But don’t worry, your body still functions as my tether. I could bring you there whenever you wish.”

Alex hadn’t even thought to worry about his own body yet, and hated himself for being reassured. Yassen had done so much for him. His father had sold him out and yet Yassen had saved Alex’s life multiple times.

“I want you to get your body back, though, Yassen. You deserve a full life.”

Yassen didn’t react. Alex reached for his shoulder and shook him a little.

“You deserve it, Yassen.”

Finally, Yassen turned his head. His smile was very gentle.

“Thank you, Alex. But I think for now we should focus on getting you back to your body.”

“No!”

Alex knew he was acting like a child, but he wouldn’t leave Yassen here. Not the one fucking person who cared about him. Not _Yassen_.

“I want to go somewhere else. I can be in a coma for a while. I want to stay with you.”

Yassen sighed but didn’t bother with disagreeing.

“Alright. Let’s spend the night here. We need little sleep, no food or sustenance and cold doesn’t affect us, but there’s no point moving in the dark.”

Alex begrudgingly agreed.

In the morning, they started walking in the first direction Alex picked. It was away from the sea, through miles and miles of grass, and by nightfall they’d made it to a forest.

“This feels right,” Alex declared.

Yassen smiled at him and said, “It’s a place as good as any other.”

They kept wandering. Through wild, untouched nature, little villages and bigger towns, resting at night and walking at day. Alex asked Yassen a lot of questions, and mostly, Yassen shared willingly. At some point he admitted he hadn’t talked to anyone else in months. It explained why he was ready to indulge Alex. It was quiet and peaceful. Alex enjoyed the sunsets, and since he didn’t need much sleep, the sunrise as well. Life was so much easier if one didn’t have to eat or make sure to stay warm.

Every evening, without fail, Yassen asked if Alex wanted to go back to his body. Alex always refused. During the second week of their walk, he admitted that yes, he’d like to see himself, but wanted to come back here. So Yassen grabbed his hand and they flew – they teleported – they moved the world around them – or they moved themselves – in a way that defied human understanding.

Alex was stunned, staring down at his own body in an expensive private hospital. It was scary. It was weird. There was a card from Jones and Blunt and he grabbed Yassen’s hand and demanded to be brought back to their current position on the outskirts of a little village.

“The sooner you go back, the less muscle atrophy you’ll have to deal with,” Yassen reminded him.

The only thing Alex could think of was how bad Yassen’s body must be doing and ignored the comment. They couldn’t feel the cold, and even as autumn came, they kept wandering. Yassen knew nature very well, and Alex listened with interest. School was moving on without him, but so was MI6. Alex finally had his peace.

The more they walked, the more right their direction felt. Yassen let Alex decide which way to follow, and Alex never hesitated. They fell into a routine. But even Yassen had no reason to break said routine up, since no one could come after them. They were no threat to anyone like this. They didn’t need to fear for their life like this. After almost two months they reached a town with a huge military compound, and Alex knew they needed to enter.

“We don’t. Alex – we really don’t.”

“I have to. It’s where I need to go. It’s where I’m drawn to and I know I have to, Yassen. They’ve got something in there that calls to me.”

Yassen looked at him for a while.

“That’s how a tether feels, Alex.”

Alex’s eyes went wide. If this was where they kept Yassen’s body – if Yassen’s body was his tether like Alex’s body was Yassen’s –

“What if-“

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

Yassen’s voice was flat, but by now Alex knew him. It was possible. With their forms being invisible and ethereal, it was easy to sneak into the compound – they could walk through walls, after all. Yassen was better at doing it, but Alex learned quickly.

Deep below the surface, hooked up to medical equipment and looking very skinny, they found Yassen’s body. Once inside the room, Alex took a deep breath.

Something in his chest felt satisfied on a very primal level. He had found his tether. His journey was over. He was ready to return to his own body.

Yassen himself was speechless. His hand reached out for his sleeping form, before pulling it back and looking towards Alex.

“Thank you – I wasn’t sure it was possible - _thank you_.”

There were more emotions in his voice than Alex had ever heard before. Alex nodded, stepping closer.

“What you said on Air Force One – about loving me. Was that true?”

Yassen gave a small nod.

“I have never lied to you, Alex.”

Alex couldn’t help the smile spreading over his face. Something was blooming in his chest, and for the first time since his uncle died, he looked forward to his future.

“I love you too, Yassen.”

“Alex – you’re very young and-“

“I’ll take your love in any form I can. Just promise me you’ll come back for me. Pick me up in London and then we can do this for real.”

Yassen looked torn.

“Alex, there’s no redemption for me. But you’re a teenager. You don’t have to become a refugee from your own country. I don’t want you to regret this one day.”

Alex reached for Yassen’s hand, grasping it tightly.

“I have nothing to lose, Yassen. I have no family. Jack wants to move on. Tom already has. I am no longer a teenager in anything but age – MI6 has robbed me of my childhood and they will rob me of my life if I don’t disappear. You know this. It’s why you told me about Scorpia. Because even they care more about their agents. MI6 will use me until I’m no longer useable and then they will discard me like one does a useless tool. But you won’t do that. You’ll come for me and you’ll protect me and we’ll have a life together. A real life.”

Yassen nodded, his eyes serious and determined. He would do whatever it took and they both knew that.

“I won’t let anyone harm you again, Alex. I will show you the world and keep you safe.”

Alex nodded, and slowly moved Yassen’s hand towards the chest of his real body. Once Yassen made contact, the form next to Alex suddenly disappeared, and the eyelids of Yassen’s real body started to flicker open. For a moment, Alex was scared. He’d gotten so used to this version of Yassen, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t be changed once he was back in his body.

But then Yassen smiled, because the first thing he saw was Alex’s face above him, and Alex couldn’t help the happiness bubbling up in his chest. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Yassen’s forehead.

“Three months, Alex,” Yassen whispered, and Alex nodded.

He had a body to return to. Yassen had a prison to break out of. Their whole life was ahead of them and they couldn’t wait for it to begin.

* * *

When Alex awoke with a yawn, Yassen’s blue eyes were already open and focused on him.

Yassen was usually awake before him, but rarely this impatient for Alex to wake up.

This morning, Yassen rolled over and pressed a kiss to his lips, smiling. Alex could feel it without even having to open his eyes.

“Happy Birthday, Alex.”

Alex chuckled.

“There was a time I thought I’d never make it to eighteen,” he admitted.

Yassen froze, and Alex opened his eyes. The smile was gone. Yassen’s smiles weren’t as rare these days, and Alex didn’t have to hoard them like little treasures anymore. It was still sad to see one gone so quickly.

“I know how that feels,” Yassen admitted. “But things are different now.”

Alex nodded, looking around their little home, the sound of waves crashing onto the shore nearby. Their life was simple. Peaceful. Neither of them were alone anymore.

“Yes. And I’m grateful to you for that every single day.”

Yassen had a hard time accepting his gratitude, but at least he wasn’t outright refusing it anymore.

“Well, without you I wouldn’t have been able to-“

Alex shook his head. “Just accept it, Yassen.”

“Alright. It is your birthday after all.”

“Exactly.” Alex smiled and leaned in for another kiss, greedy for Yassen's lips. Yassen gave it willingly.

They had breakfast and then they went swimming, lazing around the beach, Yassen’s skin a warm gold and Alex’s a darker brown than either of them had ever thought possible. Neither of them looked much like they had four years ago. Alex wore his hair down to his shoulders these days, long curls for Yassen to wind around his fingers, and Yassen’s cold demeanor had disappeared more and more.

They passed for civilians easily these days. With their obvious fondness for each other and love for nature, favorite foods and shops, they fit right into the little community they had chosen as their home. Every day Yassen felt a little safer without his weapons, and every day Alex slept a little easier knowing that MI6 had long given up on him.

Neither of them was religious, but it was hard to deny the existence of the afterlife once you’d been halfway there already. Even now, in their corporeal bodies once more, they could still feel the other wherever they were. Sometimes, when one of them believed they must have made those months up, of travelling and talking and sharing a sense of ultimate freedom, it was that undeniable tug towards the other that reminded them it had been real. As real as the body they woke up next to, as real as the rain on their faces. As real as the rings they would exchange one day.

_You require me  
To remove my guard  
Give you all of me  
In my heart  
And my body  
In my bones  
Every part of me  
  
And if I’m drown out or in free fall  
You are my favorite one of all  
And when I’m not fully settled down  
To you I’m tethered, wrapped around  
  
  
_


End file.
